title: Taking a break from chemotherapy to fight drug-resistance: The cases of cancer and HIV/AIDS.
abstract: In this work, we present how optimized treatment interruptions during chemotherapy may be used to control drug-resistance, a major challenge for clinicians worldwide. Specifically, we examine resistance in cancer and HIV/AIDS. For each disease, we use mathematical models alongside real data to represent the respective complex biological phenomena and optimal control algorithms to design optimized treatment schedules aiming at controlling disease progression and patient death. In both diseases, it is shown that the key to controlling resistance is the optimal management of the frequency and magnitude of treatment interruptions as a way to facilitate the interplay between the competitive resistant/sensitive strains.
authors.forename: Marios M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hadjiandreou
authors.forename: Georgios D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Mitsis
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D000077143:Docetaxel; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects*; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D043823:Taxoids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel